I also have a story from my Sea of Cortez trip in December, and it's in keeping with the third part of our theme for sailing adventures this year: SAIL, EXPLORE, GROW. We had to grow with a new and potentially hazardous situation, and you should know about the DeLorme inReach satellite communication system we used to handle it. We also got reliable weather forecasts without single side band, VHF radio, cellular signal or WiFi, and that's pretty darned useful.

Disclaimer: I’m not being compensated in any way for writing what you’re about to read; you should know it about it though. You’re going to want this system wherever you sail and cruise, even off the Southern California coast. At Catalina and the Northern Channel Islands, you'll find that often when you are anchored out in a nice cove, there is either spotty or no cellular signal, and definitely no WiFi.

Easy & Cheap Satellite Communication & Weather – the DeLorme inReach (now Garmin)I bought my inReach SE in 2015 when I started doing week-long instructional trips on the Sea of Cortez. I had WiFi at the marina in La Paz, but that ended as soon as we pulled away from the dock, and cellular coverage ended within about 7 NM. I wanted to be able to keep in touch with important people, and I wanted to have a backup rescue service available in the event our VHF radio quit working, or in case we just couldn't reach anyone in this remote area.

The inReach gave me that functionality and peace of mind, and weather forecasts too. On this last trip I just did not expect how useful, and how important it might be.

My weathered inReach SE

WeatherI just recently started using the weather forecast function, and it was unexpectedly useful for us. We were anchored at Ensenada Grande, on Isla Espiritu Santo, and I wanted to take the crew out to snorkel on the point in the morning. The weather was changing though, and we wanted to know if it was going to be too windy. The forecast was for winds around 6 knots at 9 AM, so it looked good for snorkeling. Turns out we got a late start for the snorkeling, and the wind came up after 10 AM, but it was an accurate forecast. We would have made entirely different plans if we had gotten a forecast for strong conditions.

Screenshot from the inReach web page for 12/16/17. In the image above, you can see our track and where we anchored. I added the labels for the anchorage and the point we were going to snorkel using Adobe Illustrator.

The really cool and useful thing is that the forecast we received was for our actual location – the GPS coordinates where we were anchored. We were a good 25+ NM from La Paz, and we'd have to see if we could tune to the cruisers' net the next day to get the regional forecast. When you can get the local forecast on the inReach on demand, you realize just how handy that is.

A sample of the free forecast as it appears on the iPhone thru the Bluetooth link. Shown is the 3 PM forecast for "Tomorrow." A more detailed forecast is available for a premium.

Note to weather gurus: I know you can't see the longer term trends with this forecast, and there certainly are limitations, but it's nice to be able to see accurate local predictions of wind strength and direction. I asked Garmin tech support where the weather data comes from, and they replied via emai, "Land forecasts are Powered by Dark Sky, a leading provider of weather data around the globe. Marine forecasts are based on OCENS premium marine weather data.

A Potential Medical EmergencyThis situation is what the inReach is really for. One of our crew was walking in shallow water, pulling the dinghy along toward the beach, and was stung by a stingray. When she got back to the catamaran she was shaky, in pain, and in shock. Beyond first aid for the wound and treating for shock, I needed help with treating for the venom and clearly recognizing specific signs of an allergic reaction.

We had no cell coverage, and I was skeptical we'd be able to reach help via VHF radio while tucked deeply back in the cove. I got on the inReach and texted my wife Chrissie back in California, asking her to research it on the web and to contact the doctor we knew in La Paz for advice. That is the important part: the ability to communicate clearly and quickly in an urgent situation (Pan Pan), can really make a difference. Even more so if it were a sinking, or a life and death situation (May Day).

This is a screenshot of part of the actual conversation. I was able to ask Chrissie to look up treatment for stingray stings, and the indications of an allergic reaction.

One of the things we learned through this process was that hot water helped to neutralize the venom. We wouldn't have known otherwise.

We headed back for La Paz at max rpm under power, with a reefed main for the strengthening wind conditions. While underway we were able to communicate with the doctor. Once we had cellular coverage, our injured crew’s husband was able to call the doctor to confirm arrangements.

When we landed at the marina, we got help from a local cruising couple, and they were off in a car to meet the doctor at the hospital.

After 7 stitches and a professional medical evaluation, our crew and her family had confidence that all would be well.

That was a really good outcome. I don’t have any promotional product links for you, but I’m sure you can find the inReach on the web. I use the tracking function on every trip so that I can let important people see where we are at any time of day. On my next Sea of Cortez trip in March 2018, this will come in handy so that people who are meeting us in Loreto can see our progress from La Paz, and even ping me for questions.

And now, take a look at what we have coming up!!!

Grenada trip, April 21-28, on the Lagoon 440 catamaran, Almost There. This is a guided sail training adventure, where you can step up your game. It'll be an amazing experience. Sail. Explore. Grow.

Maneuvering Under Power – On the Water. Stay tuned for the announcement of our upcoming Maneuvering Under Power course, on the water in Newport Beach. This is the practical training component to the NauticEd online course.

2 FREE Sailing Courses from NauticEd. Check in to these online courses and you’ll begin to see how online training combined with on the water skill practice works in the sailing world.